Homemade Christmas Decorations and Gifts

HOMEMADE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS AND GIFTS

If you are like me and love to get a bit creative with ideas for the home or for gifts for friends and family, then you make like to above picture of homemade Christmas Tree Decorations! Above is just an idea of making a Christmas tree decoration from felt and buttons! Its quite simple really! Other tree decorations you could make are snowmen, robins, candy canes, angels, snowflakes and probably lots of other ideas!! 

There are lots of other ideas for Christmas decorations such as decoration old light bulbs with paint to create a snow scene or fireplace scene. You can use old jam jars (cleaned and sterilised of course!) to make snowglobes or you can make a present by adding your friends or family members favourite things, such as their favourite sweets or chocolate, or by making a sewing kit and the jar is the box to contain everything. You can also use the jars but layering all the ingredients for say gingerbread men inside and then tying a tag to the lid with the instructions or how to make the gingerbread men and cooking guidelines! 

There are lots of ideas out there for making your own decorations. I think its a lovely idea as it makes the decoration or gift unique and it shows that some thought and time/effort has been put into it. It also can help the environment as you can recycle items that you would generally throw away!

i generally find my inspiration on Pinterest or other arts and crafts websites. You don't even have to stick to a Chrsitmas theme! You could find something to make to decorate your Holiday Home or touring caravan/motorhome with! 

Hope you all have a go at making something for Christmas as it can involve the whole family and give you all something to do on a rainy day!

Claire

Reception

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Spectacular light display at Whitby Abbey

If you are a fan of Bram Stoker's Dracula, then Whitby Abbey was the place to be this Halloween.  Seen as never before, Whitby Abbey was lit up in different colours, from Blue, Green Red and Purple creating a chilling atmosphere.

I decided to have a walk around the Abbey on Wednesday night to see what all the fuss was about, and was glad I did!  Adding to the atmosphere was a spectacular full moon which made the night even more memorable.

After paying to get in, you take the long walk round to bring you round to what must be the most famous image of the Abbey, that by Frank Meadow Sutcliffe, taken in front of the Abbey with the lake in the foreground.   If you stood in the right place you were able to see the Abbey's reflection in the water, as the lights were shining through the bottom windows with the top of the ruins blending into the blackness of the night.

As you keep walking round the ruins, the lights all of a sudden change colour creating a different, moodier atmosphere to the last one.

At each end of the ruins there were different actors, all dressed up in various different outfits, telling all sorts of tales like that of Sweeney Todd and other gruesome stories which fit in nicely with it being Halloween.

At about 8.15pm, the crowds started to gather round the actors in the middle of the ruins.  What came next was a dramatic recital of part of Bram Stoker's Dracula.  The actors were amazing and got the whole audience involved with the retelling, and what better back drop to have than that of the Abbey all lit up creating the spooky atmosphere needed for the telling of Dracula!

There was also a few stall around selling all sort of different wonderful things.  If you were feeling a bit thirsty you could also get a nice cup of mulled wine or cider to warm you up, as it was a bit on the chilly side.

I could have spent all night there just taking photos from different angles in the different lights as every picture you took was different!.

It is really hard to describe just what an experience it was as it is one of those where you have to be there to experience it.  There are just no words to describe what it felt like standing amongst those ruins in the pitch black and dark moody lights lighting up the ruins.

This spectacular light display also coincided with the annual Goth Weekend in Whitby.   So not only were we hunting for Dracula amongst the ruins but also looking out for the Goths and their amazing outfits!!

I certainly hope that they do this again next year as i will definitely be going to look round again!

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